Over the course of 2022, the Move Electric team have tested, driven and ridden a huge range of electric vehicles. This week we're reflecting on the star machines we've tried: these aren't necessarily the best, but memorable ones that left a big impression on us.
Today, Move Electric editor James Attwood makes his selection.
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BrightDrop Zevo 600 delivery van
A whirlwind visit to General Motors in Detroit to learn about the American car giant’s electrification plans – which will involve a return to the European market – included a chance to test many of its latest EVs at its Milford test track.
The EVs I tried spanned from the humble Chevrolet Bolt EUV to the premium Cadillac Lyriq, two cars that would fit in well in the UK market, and the monstrous GMC Hummer EV Pickup, which would barely fit on a UK road (although that won't stop someone trying...). But the one that I was most intrigued to try was a delivery truck.
The BrightDrop Zevo 600 is a real showcase of both the power of electrification, and how GM is reinventing itself. BrightDrop is the firm’s new last-mile delivery start-up, with a focus on developing electric solutions for urban deliveries. There’s a focus on mobility-as-a-service and all those on-trend topics.
BrightDrop has been given significant autonomy within the wider GM empire so that it can act more quickly with a start-up mentality, and notably many of its senior team have been recruited from tech firms rather than the automotive industry.
Ultimately, though, the success of BrightDrop will be underpinned by its vehicles – and the first of those is the Zevo 600, a big electric delivery truck. It’s a sleek EV-era reworking of those big FedEx and UPS trucks you see on the roads of America, and so of course I wasn’t going to miss the chance to try one.
It’s here I probably should tell you about how the cabin of the Zevo 600 has been designed for hard-wearing constant use, with a dashboard laid out to maximise visibility and ease-of-use. Or about the clever modular design of the storage compartment, including an option to have built-in charging units that are compatible with BrightDrop’s own powered electric delivery crate.
But the bit that most excited me? Being asked ‘do you want the door open or closed?’ Like those FedEx and UPS trucks, the Zevo 600 has sliding front doors that you can leave open when in use. And was I going to miss the chance to try a big delivery truck with the door open to the elements? Of course not.
On the track, the Zevo 600 was remarkably pliant to drive given its size. It’s certainly not the most dynamic thing I’ve driven this year, but it was clean, quiet and, thanks to that electric powertrain, pleasingly refined. Most importantly, it’s hugely practical.
It’s has been designed for true utility, and with a real purpose. And yet, underneath all that practical delivery van body, you’ll essentially find a Hummer EV, an electric vehicle that is all about spurious excess.
Both machines share the same version of GM’s Ultium EV platform, and the BrightDrop team drew heavily on the Hummer to shortcut development times: the Zevo 600 took just 24 months to develop, a new record for a GM model. You certainly couldn’t tell from behind the wheel.
That’s another reason why driving the BrightDrop 600 stuck with me this year: it provided context with which to understand the sheer excess of the Hummer. Taken in isolation the Hummer is unnecessarily, almost irresponsibly, excessive. But pushing the limits with it has enabled GM to accelerate development of other more sensible models. I’m still not sure the Hummer is entirely a sensible use of EV technology, but you can see how it is improving the breed of vehicles that definitely are.
That’s just one example: other ‘flagship’ EV models such as performance cars are serving similar roles for other cars firms. And it’s a trend that could accelerate in the future. That’s the future though: for the moment, I’ll just enjoying reflecting on the chance to drive a big electric delivery van round a test track. With the door open, of course.
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